You have faith, but are you in faith?
Yes, the Bible says that God will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). We go after these desires, but are we operating in faith? Some of our pursuits can be ill-timed or risky, but under the guise of faith, we keep pushing forward.
I think there is a misconception that we can be successful in anything if we believe, but what exactly is success?
There are people who invest in different things, move to new cities, leave their jobs – believing God for favor in these ventures and hoping for the best. I believe God wants us to realize that while you can have faith, it doesn’t mean you’re in faith.
In whom or what have you put your faith?
To an extent, yes, faith is “blind” trust – but in whom or what? Is your faith in God or your resume? Is your faith in God or your wealth?
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). If you are stepping out to do something without first having a word from God, then your faith isn’t in Him, it’s in your own ability. Don’t misunderstand, we do need faith in ourselves because there are many things we’re called to do that can seem too big for us. However, God is the source of our power and might.
Psalm 139:16 says that every day of our lives was written in His book, and every day was laid out before a single day passed. So, we ought to be sure that the things we put faith in and work toward are a part of His plan. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans of a person’s heart but only Gods purposes will prevail.”
God’s Word Precedes Great Faith
In the Bible, every act of Great faith was preceded by a Word from God. Hebrews 11 lists many examples of these, one of which was Abraham. God spoke to Abram and told him to leave his home, leave all his relatives and go to a land that He would show him (Genesis 12). Abram didn’t even know where he was going, but after receiving the word of God, he acted.
Some of us just move because we want a fresh start in a new place, and we put faith in our ability to make a living after we get there. Doing something on a whim is reckless even when you have a plan. That probably seems like an extreme statement for many, but if God planned our lives in advance, anything we do outside of His word (or will) is not being done in faith.
You’ll know you’re in faith if you’re dependent on God every step of the way because only He knows how to get you where you’re going.
Come back inside faith.
Thank God for His grace! There have been so many things I’ve done outside of faith before I knew Him. It made me worry that perhaps it would take me that much longer to get back on track. I used to wonder how far from God’s will I had gotten while pursuing my own desires.
I want to encourage everyone that God in His infinite wisdom knew exactly where we would be when we came into understanding. God will restore our years (Joel 2:25). Think about the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. He foolishly took his inheritance, left home, spent frivolously on his desires and ended up in a pigpen. At his lowest point, he came to himself and returned home. Even though he was willing to take a servant position in his father’s house just to be able to eat, his father welcomed him with celebration and he was restored.
Hear God above yourself.
Since faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), we have to determine what ideas are from God and which are not. Your relationship with the Holy Spirit will be indicative of your discernment of His voice. This is so vital for us because the Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
I have written on learning to hear God’s voice in a previous article, but one quick tip I will give here is that our spirit is the lamp of the Lord (Proverbs 20:27). God will lead you through the spirit. So, how do you know if what you hear is from the spirit or from your own mind? Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword dividing soul and spirit. Start with the Word and you will develop your ear for God’s voice.
Remember, we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). I looked up the word walk in the Strong’s Concordance app and the Greek word is Peripateo which means to live, follow, to be occupied with. So, we ought to live by faith, follow by faith and be occupied with faith. This takes practice and intentionality – it’s not always easy while being in the flesh and trying to remain open to hearing God’s word. That’s why Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). We must contend for the faith and seek after it daily.
So, what’s the play call?
If you have any big decisions to make, open your heart and ears to God before you act to be sure you’re operating in faith. Remember that faith comes by hearing the word and that without it, you cannot please God!
Be blessed!
